The conversion program took place between 19, with first delivery taking place in December 1979. Also added at this time was a boom receptacle for inflight refueling. Additional fuselage “plug” sections were added before and after the wings, lengthening the fuselage by 23 ft 4 in (7.11 m) and allowing the carriage of 103 litters for wounded, 13 standard pallets, 205 troops, 168 paratroopers, or an equivalent increase in other loads. These modified aircraft were designated C-141B. To correct the perceived deficiencies of the original model and utilize the C-141 to the fullest of its capabilities, the entire fleet of 270 in-service C-141As were stretched, adding needed payload volume. The C-141 proved to “bulk out” before it “massed out”, meaning that it often had additional lift capacity that went wasted because the cargo hold was too full. Production deliveries of an eventual 285 planes began in 1965: 284 for the Air Force, and one for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for use as an airborne observatory.
Introduced to replace slower piston-engined cargo planes such as the C-124 Globemaster II, the C-141 was designed to requirements set in 1960 and first flew in 1963. The Starlifter fulfilled the vast spectrum of airlift requirements through its ability to airlift combat forces over long distances, delivering those forces and their equipment either by air, land or airdrop, resupply forces and transport the sick and wounded from the hostile area to advanced medical facilities. The C-141 Starlifter was the workhorse of the Air Mobility Command from the 1970s into the early 2000s. Our C-141B Starlifter, 64-0626, was the very last C-141 stationed here at Dover AFB, retiring in February 1996. Decals for 3 different vehicles deployed to Iraq and 3 different vehicles deployed on NATO operations.This is part of the museum's First, Last, and Only aircraft- View the others.
Tamiya presents a plastic assembly kit for the M2A2 ODS Infantry Fighting Vehicle, a vehicle that in March 2003, was used on the front line in Iraq supporting the 3rd Armored Infantry Division as they pushed there way to Baghdad.